1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cleaning systems and more particularly to a system adapted for removing ink residue imbedded in laser formed cells of ceramic inking rolls used in printing presses.
2. Prior Art
Systems for cleaning rolls of roller assemblies have been known and in use for many years.
One early system particularly adapted for cleaning rolls used for processing photographic film is set out in U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,805. This system includes a cabinet for a rinse tank and a cleaning liquid tank fitted with several ultrasound units. For cleaning, the rolls are placed between a pair of spaced apart vertical plates of a hoist mechanism selectively located in the cleaning tank. The rolls operatively connect with a series of drive sprockets carried by one of the plates so that the rolls rotate continuously during cleaning. After completion of a short cleaning cycle, the hoist mechanism is used to transfer the rolls to the rise tank for a water spray.
A more modern printing cylinder cleaning system is disclosed in three related patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,058,611, 5,240,506, and 5,291,827. This system includes a heatable tank preferably filled with a biodegradable cleaning solution. Along sidewalls and a bottom of the tank is a series of ultrasonic generating units for producing a 2,400 watt output in a frequency range of 25-29 kHz. For use a cylinder is lowered into the tank so that its shaft ends seat respectively on a pair of rollers of a rotation mechanism positioned on the tank bottom. As the cylinder rotates at a low rpm, ink residue in cells of the cylinder is softened by the heated cleaning solution and then cavitated from these cells by ultrasonic energy. The original system subsequently was improved by adding means for adjusting the vertical height of the rotation mechanism.
A still further printing cylinder cleaning system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,125 and includes a device for dispensing a cleaning cloth from a supply roll. The cloth may be a composition material of synthetic fibers, natural fibers and wood pulp and is pre-impregnated with a cleaning liquid such as diethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol. To prevent the cleaning liquid from evaporating, the supply roll is kept in a sealed container until ready for use. To clean a printing machine cylinder the cloth feeds from the roll to press against and remove ink from the cylinder and then reaccumulates on a take-up roll.